Thompson’s 3-pointer Lifts Yellowjackets to Improbable Win (December 19, 2002)

BILLINGS, MT – Unbelievable!  That was the refrain coursing through Alterowitz Gymnasium Thursday night after Dan Thompson’s 3-pointer with six seconds on the clock gave MSU Billings an 82-81 victory over the University of Charleston. 

Missing several key players to injury and illness, the Yellowjackets’ 37-game home winning streak appeared to be in jeopardy as the Golden Eagles (6-2) built a 15-point lead midway through the second half.  With just over four and a half minutes remaining in the game, MSUB (6-0) trailed by 12 points.

Buddy Windy Boy’s 3-pointer at 4:34 pulled the Jackets to within nine.  Justin Hassell, who scored a season-high 28 points, drew MSUB to within seven with 4:00 left on a basket in the lane.  Hassell took over the final four minutes of the game, scoring nine points and drawing the Yellowjackets to within one (80-79) on a pair of free throws with 1:04 remaining. 

After Charleston’s Derek Jones made one-of-two free throws 51 ticks on the clock to make the score 81-79, Windy Boy missed a 3-pointer and the rebound went out of bounds to the Eagles.  Inbounding from the sideline, Charleston was unable to put the ball into play and turned it over on a five-second call, giving MSUB the ball with 30 seconds left.

Trailing by two, Coach Craig Carse decided to play for the final shot and the win, setting up Thompson’s heroics.  After running about 20 second off the clock with their motion offense, the Yellowjackets sprang Thompson loose off a double screen on the left wing.  He caught the ball about 23-feet from the basket, turned and fired-up an arching rainbow of a shot that hardly touched net as it sailed through the hoop. 

Out of timeouts, Charleston quickly inbounded the ball and raced the length of the floor for a last second shot.  Jones, who scored a game-high 34, was able to get off a running one hander in the lane as time expired, but it fell short, and the Yellowjackets were able to somehow improved their nation-best home winning streak to 38 games.

Thompson’s game-winner gave him 15 points for the night to go along with five assists and four rebounds.  Bill Day, filling-in all night for an ill Kyle Stirmlinger, notched a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.  Windy Boy finished with 12 points including three 3-pointers.  The Yellowjackets were without the services of Jerett Skrifvars and Dave Carse, and were able to use Stirmlinger and Cameron Munoz sparingly due to illness.

The Golden Eagles’ Derek Jones made 9-of-22 field goal attempts and 13-of-17 free throws for his 34 points.  The difference in the game nearly came down to free throw shooting as Charleston connected on 17-of-22 and the normally solid-shooting Yellowjackets made just 14-of-23. 

The Yellowjackets will play their next five games on the road starting December 28 at Cal State-Los Angeles.  They will play at Cal Poly Pomona December 30 before opening the PacWest Conference schedule at Chaminade on January 4 and at Hawaii-Hilo January 6 and 8.